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Lake Village.
Situated between the sea and the Galos continent, this tourist destination also witnessed a regrettable event.
The unfortunate occurrence can be traced back to the treacherous actions of the Life School of the Magic Tower and the Department of Life Alchemy at Rokuri University. They lured individuals from both the Magic Tower and the University, along with wizarding families from the central continent, by posing as hosts of an academic conference, only to commit the heinous act of attacking them.
This act of betrayal was inexcusable and left no room for justification.
However, what proved to be even more astonishing was the involvement of a malevolent warlock lurking in the shadows of this incident.
It was none other than Gretel, who claimed to be a Human-meat Chef.
To everyone’s surprise, she had infiltrated the Department of Life Alchemy while assuming a false identity, ultimately consuming the organization from within, as the rumors had it.
“A senior wizard lamented that it was a devastating event unprecedented in the entire history… And I feel the same way. That a wizard betrayed another wizard due to the schemes of a warlock. How could this possibly be excused?”
Kevin concluded his statement and proceeded to pour some coffee.
Much like the professor’s office, which had undergone a transformation, the aroma of the coffee had improved as well. He inquired if Oliver would like some, and Oliver politely accepted the offer.
With a soft rustling of cups and saucers,
“The Magic Tower has a lot of headaches because of it, but thanks to that, I’ve gotten a new professor’s office… Ask your question.”
Kevin addressed Oliver, who had raised his hand.
As soon as he received permission, Oliver began to speak.
“I understand that the situation in Lake Village is serious.”
“Good to see you’re catching on.”
“It’s because you had mentioned it before, professor. However, I still don’t understand the correlation with the new professor’s office.”
“That’s frustrating.”
Kevin spoke candidly about his thoughts, but it didn’t mean he was careless with his response.
“When you work as a solver, the more difficult and dangerous the task, the greater the reward, right?”
“Yes.”
“It’s the same here. Lake Village caused significant damage to both the Magic Tower and Rokuri University, but relatively speaking, the Magic Tower was better off. Because we prevented the damage from getting worse.”
“Ah…”
Oliver exclaimed and nodded in understanding.
In reality, Kevin, along with Philip from the Pure Magic School, Terence, and others from the Skadi Sub-School like Yareli and Tilda, had reorganized and successfully thwarted the conspiracy of the Life School and the Department of Life Alchemy.
“Of course, we couldn’t save everyone… Honestly, there were more people who were not safe than those who were.”
“Is it that serious?”
Oliver, who had immediately delved into writing a paper upon returning from Galos, hadn’t had the opportunity to learn the finer details and asked for clarification.
“Yes. The damage was severe. There were many missing and casualties. Notably, the masters of the Agni Sub-School and the Enlil Sub-School. Both have disappeared.”
A Master is a rank following Grand Master, and even Oliver, who was not well-versed in these matters, could comprehend the gravity of the situation.
“Additionally, many professors and executives within the Magic Tower also died.”
“So, does that mean you were assigned this professor’s office because its original owner died?”
“Half right and half wrong. The office was indeed vacant, but I got it because of my significant contributions in Lake Village.”
“Congratulations.”
“Don’t. You should be included in the list of those with distinguished service as well.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. You broke through interference and connected to the World Tree to understand the situation, took responsibility for movement by inversely utilizing the fog barrier imbued with Spatial School magic, and stood with General Philip against Theodore. It’s obvious. It would be ridiculous to have to explain it.”
“I am just a personal staff of a professor… Plus, wasn’t it Elder who defeated Mr. Theodore?”
“Officially, yes, but in reality, you did it, didn’t you? Don’t treat me like a fool.”
“Ah, sorry. But officially-“
“-It doesn’t matter. Just by participating, you’ve made a significant contribution. You even fought Theodore for a while… That’s a huge deal.”
An accomplishment indeed. Oliver couldn’t deny that fact.
Theodore was none other than a distinguished Grand Master of the Life School within the Magic Tower, steadily gaining prominence.
He undeniably possessed power that matched his esteemed position.
Were it not for the lake’s mana, engaging in a battle with him would have been an immensely challenging endeavor.
The disparity in mana was simply too vast.
“I was just lucky.”
“If you keep being lucky, then that luck should be considered a skill.”
Kevin promptly interjected, dismissing the concept of mere luck.
“Anyway, as Lake Village started to become more publicized, the people who played a role there were also announced. Magic Tower had to save face, after all. And you and I were proudly included in that list.”
“I see… So that’s why the students and professors looked at me that way.”
“That’s half right, but also half wrong.”
“Huh?”
“It’s also because of your thesis.”
“My thesis?”
“[Reconstruction and Transplantation of Bodies and Organs Through the Fusion of Blood Magic and Life Magic].”
“Did you submit it, professor?”
“Yes, I did, and everyone is in shock. All the wizards supporting the leadership of the Magic Tower.”
Kevin elaborated.
“Perfect recovery of the body. It might be surprising, or it might be expected, but it’s one of the achievements wizards want to accomplish. No matter how much mechanical limbs or golems advance, nothing compares to a real body made of flesh and blood.”
Oliver nodded in agreement.
He himself had wished to provide Kent with a real arm rather than a golem prosthetic.
‘I should ask about it when I go with Mr. Forrest… Well, he probably won’t like it.’
“Especially for wizards.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, everyone thinks that the brain is important for wizards, which is true, but if you want to reach higher realms, you need a good body as well.”
Oliver wasn’t surprised. He was well aware of the emphasis placed on physical training within the Magic Tower.
Although it received less attention in comparison to the study of magic and theory, it was never disregarded.
To wield potent magic, one’s physique had to be up to the task.
“A wizard can drop several levels in skill just by losing a limb. You wouldn’t know.”
Oliver nodded, having never experienced such a loss.
“But, wouldn’t that apply to you as well, professor?”
“True. My limbs are fine. But, I’ve seen enough war wizards who’ve lost limbs, so I know.”
“Does that happen often?”
“On the battlefield it does. Blind bullets, terrorism in the colonies, there are countless dangers lurking.”
Oliver nodded in comprehension.
Landa had its fair share of superhumans, yet surprisingly, superhumans often met untimely fates.
“Anyway, that’s why wizards, including those from the Life School and Alchemy School, who are experts in that field, have researched many ways to restore lost bodies. Surgery, potions, bio-alchemy, etc… All failed, though. It’s that difficult to recreate human flesh, even just a part… But you succeeded.”
Kevin spoke with admiration, despite his prior knowledge of Oliver’s research topic.
Oliver cautiously clarified.
“To be precise, I haven’t actually created anything. I’ve only reconstructed parts of the body and organs using the nucleus and tissues from other corpses.”
Upon hearing Oliver’s clarification, Kevin pondered for a moment, then nodded.
“…Well, that’s more accurate. But it doesn’t matter. Whatever it is, you succeeded where the Life School wizards failed.”
“Thank you for your kind words.” Oliver replied calmly, displaying little emotion.
After all, the thesis had been written as a secondary outcome of his research on corpse doll enhancement, primarily to save time. However, this didn’t mean that the research had been easy by any means.
In truth, had he not possessed knowledge of blood magic, not learned the Ptah’s Assistant, and not acquired glimpses of Theodore’s medical magic expertise, he wouldn’t have dared to undertake this research. It was a project that encompassed a wide range of techniques and academic disciplines.
But it was also true that, to some extent, he had written it to secure his position at the Magic Tower.
The fact that such research had astonished the entire leadership of the Magic Tower left Oliver somewhat perplexed.
Oliver gathered his thoughts, which were still slightly disoriented, and posed the central question.
“Professor, does this mean I can stay at the Magic Tower?”
“Yes. The Magic Tower might be a stifling place, but it’s not foolish. You have the pretext of Master, and your own achievements. They would want to keep you at the Magic Tower, even if it means assuming some risk.”
“That’s a relief.”
Oliver spoke plainly but earnestly. He still had a strong desire to remain at the Magic Tower. There was so much more he wanted to learn, books he wished to peruse, a deeper understanding of the Magic Tower’s operations, ways to utilize the World Tree, insights into the education system, and more.
“The reason I called you in advance was to properly explain this fact and to give you an idea of what to roughly say during the interview.”
“Interview?”
“Yes, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but you know how you are. We need to sort out what you should and shouldn’t say in advance. Don’t be offended, it’s partly your fault.”
“I’m not offended, Professor. I just don’t quite understand.”
Kevin pulled out a list of anticipated interview questions and answers as he asked.
“What don’t you understand?”
“Why do I have to have an interview?”
“…? It’s just a formality. Don’t worry too much about it.”
“No, that’s not what I mean. I’m asking why I have to have an interview if I’m a personal staff of a professor. This wasn’t the case last time, was it?”
“Personal staff of a professor?”
“Yes… Wasn’t I supposed to stay at the Magic Tower as a professor’s personal staff?”
“Of course not… A professor’s personal staff can’t be said to have written such a thesis. It has to be a wizard affiliated with the Magic Tower for it to make sense… Let me ask you, when Master told you to write a thesis, did you really think it was for you to stay as a personal staff of a professor?”
“Yes.”
Oliver answered without hesitation. He hadn’t contemplated becoming an official wizard of the Magic Tower, nor did he particularly desire it.
“Why didn’t you think about it, and why don’t you want to become one?”
“Firstly, I’m a solver and a warlock, and secondly, if I become an official wizard, I would have to follow the rules of the Magic Tower.”
“That’s true.”
“I don’t want to be tied down by the Magic Tower’s rules.”
***
In the heart of the Magic Tower, within its administrative department, the core organizational entity, sat the head of administration along with the masters of the Moirai and Space School, all sporting expressions identical to Kevin’s – ones of incredulity, as if they couldn’t fathom the existence of the person named Oliver.
Oliver himself was equally taken aback by the situation. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was too much to ask to remain as a personal assistant to a professor rather than becoming an official wizard of the Magic Tower.
The head of administration inquired, “Why don’t you want to be bound by the Magic Tower’s rules?”
“If I become an official wizard of the Magic Tower, I would have to follow its directives, and there might be some that I don’t want to follow… It’s not that I have complaints about the Magic Tower. It’s just a personal preference.”
Oliver responded earnestly, but the head of administration’s expression twisted further with disbelief. They found it utterly perplexing.
It wasn’t that they couldn’t empathize with his sentiments. Even though Oliver had carved out a niche for himself as a solver, it still couldn’t compare to the life within the Magic Tower.
While his income might be somewhat lower, depending on Oliver’s choices, he could enjoy a more affluent life. Moreover, the Magic Tower offered many advantages in terms of safety, welfare, social prestige, and more.
Yet, these aspects held little interest for Oliver.
“I just can’t understand it…”
“I’m sorry, head of administration. I thought it would be more polite to explain and seek understanding now rather than to speak out after the fact. I mean no malice towards the Magic Tower, and I hope for your generous understanding.”
Oliver politely requested understanding, but the head of administration persisted, wanting to delve deeper into Oliver’s reasoning.
“Weren’t you already affiliated with the Magic Tower as a personal staff of Professor Kevin? Then why don’t you want to become an official wizard of the Magic Tower, which is incomparable? Just answer comfortably. I just don’t understand.”
Although the last statement was rhetorical, Oliver followed Kevin’s advice in his response.
“Being a personal staff of a professor isn’t strictly an official position of the Magic Tower; it’s more akin to private employment by the professor. You can be dismissed or resign at any time. More than anything, Elder advised me to give it a try.”
Oliver mentioned Merlin’s name as Kevin had advised, and simply invoking that name ensured that the head of administration and the other masters didn’t interrogate him too aggressively. Kevin’s guidance proved sound.
“Ah… Is that so?”
“Yes.”
The head of administration and the masters appeared flustered, as if they had never anticipated such a scenario, closely scrutinizing Oliver to ascertain the authenticity of his words.
Nonetheless, Oliver remained composed, as per the plan, awaiting their decision.
‘After all, the plan was just to wait and see whether I would be expelled from the Magic Tower or if they would find another way for me.’
While he preferred the latter, the former wouldn’t trouble him excessively, so Oliver waited in silence, adhering to Kevin’s counsel.
After a prolonged silence, the head of administration finally spoke.
“So, you wouldn’t regret leaving the Magic Tower at all?”
“It’s not that I wouldn’t regret it. But if there is no other way, I think I would have to accept it.”
Oliver answered according to both Kevin’s advice and his own feelings, and the lengthy silence continued.
As the silence peaked, Oliver apologized and was about to get up, and at that moment, the head of administration spoke up.
“Just wait a moment. We need to discuss this matter further.”
(To be Continued)
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